Grandm.-He meant that Joseph was missing; that though he had put him into the pit, he could not now find him.

We here see how easily we are led from one crime to another, in the conduct of these wicked men, as their next crime was deceit and falsehood, for they killed a kid and dipped Joseph's coat into the blood of it, to deceive their poor father by making him believe that a wild beast had torn him to pieces; and then when they found that Jacob mourned so bitterly for his son, they, one and all, assisted in trying to comfort him. If they had any real feeling, it ought to have made them mourn more bitterly still to see how their crime had distressed their good father!

Harry.-What did the merchants do with Joseph, Grandinama ?

Grandm.-They took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard, and he became a very prosperous man for a time, as God was with him, and gave him favor with Potiphar, who placed so much trust in him, that he made him overseer of all that he possessed, and God made all he did prosper; but Potiphar's wife was a very wicked woman, and accused Joseph of behaving very improperly to her, which although quite untrue, made her husband very angry, and he sent

Joseph to prison; but the Lord in whom he trusted did not desert him in his misfortune, but "gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison." (xxxix, 21.) And we find he soon became as much trusted in the prison as he had been in Potiphar's house. While Joseph was in prison, Pharaoh's chief butler and chief baker offended him, and were sent to the same prison as Joseph was in, and the keeper of the prison put them under his charge.

One morning he found them both in very low spirits on account of a dream which each of them had had: he asked them why they were so sad, and they replied because they had dreamed and there was no interpreter to tell them the meaning of their dreams.

Harry-Who was an interpreter, Grand

mama?

Grandm.-An interpreter was one who explained the meaning of dreams, in this instance. Harry. But, Grandmama, is it right for us to believe that what we dream must come to pass? I thought it was only very ignorant people who believed in dreams.

Grandm.-It was very different in Joseph's time to what it is now, my dear. In those times God frequently employed dreams for making known His will; but now in this

Gospel age God has ceased to use dreams, and it is, as you say, only ignorant or superstitious people who believe in them. When Joseph heard that it was their dreams that had made them unhappy he said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? tell them me, I pray you." (xl. 8.) You see here, Harry, that Joseph does not try to make them suppose that he was able to explain their dreams by himself, and therefore makes them understand that it is God alone who could show them their meaning. The chief butler then told his dream to Joseph, who informed him that after three days he would be received into the king's favor again, and asked him to think of him then. When the baker heard that, he also asked Joseph what his dream signified, and Joseph told him that after three days he would be hanged. (Refer to Gen. xl, 9—19.)

Harry-I should not think the baker would feel very happy after Joseph had told him what his dream meant. Were his interpretations true, Grandmama? for he gave a very different one to each man!

Grandm.-Yes, my dear, Joseph was perfectly right, because God had revealed to him what would happen to each of them. You may remember that he told them first that interpretations belonged to God, and they

must have seen that such was the case. The butler was restored to his butlership three days after, which was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave the cup to Pharaoh again as Joseph had predicted, and the baker was hanged.

Harry.-I hope, Grandmama, that the butler did not forget what Joseph had asked him to do when he left the prison?

Grandm.-I am sorry to say, Harry, that the butler was like many other persons, and forgot that Joseph had obliged him, when he was once more well off himself, and it was only when Pharaoh had had a dream that could not be understood by any one, that the butler recollected Joseph. We need not read Pharaoh's dream, as you know about that: it is mentioned in the xli chap, 1–7 verses.

Harry. Yes, Grandmama, I remember it quite well, but can you tell me why they are called "kine" here, Grandmama? were they any particular kind of cows?

Grandm.-No, Harry, I believe not, but it is a word that we find used several times in the Bible. It is quite out of use now, however. Pharaoh was very unhappy about these dreams, and sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt, to tell him the meaning of them, but God had not made known his intentions to any of them, so that they could

not interpret the dreams, and it was then that the chief butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh of his having given the true interpretation of both his own and the chief baker's dream. As soon as Pharaoh heard that, he sent for Joseph out of the prison. Joseph immediately appeared before the king, having first shaved and dressed himself, and Pharaoh told him he had heard that he could interpret dreams. Joseph answered him, "It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. (xli, 16.) Pharaoh then told his dream to Joseph; who first tells Pharaoh that both dreams are the same, and that God is shewing the king in his dreams what is going to happen.

"The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dream is one. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh. What God is about to do, he showeth unto Pharaoh. Behold there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt; and there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine shall